Combined charger



(No Model.)

,S. 'M. WILLIAMS. COMBINED CHARGER, REFLEGTOR, AND SMOKE ARRESTER FORFLASH LIGHT BURNERS.

Patented Sept. 12, 1893.

4 Z .R. A v fl vv i M F K,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SYLVESTER M. WILLIAMS, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

COMBINED CHARGER, REFLECTOR, AND SMOKE-ARRESTER FOR FLASH-LIGHT BURNERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 504,955, datedSeptember 12, 1893.

- Application filed December 31, 1892. Serial No. 456,896. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SYLVESTER M. WIL- LIAMS, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in the city and county of San Francisco, State ofCalifornia, have invented an Improvement in a Combined Charger,Reflector, and Smoke-Arrester for Flash-LightBurners and I herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of thesame.

My invention relates to the general class of mechanisms for producingartificial light for photographic exposures.

It consists in connection with a suitable flash light burner, of acharger therefor whereby a stated charge of powder is supplied to theburner.

It consists also in connection with a suitable flash light burner, of acharger therefor and a reflector carrying said charger, said reflectorbeing also constructed and located to serve the further purpose of asmoke ar-' rester, the whole forming, in connection with the flash lightburner, a combined charger, reflector and smoke arrester therefor.

It also consists in the novel details of construction, arrangement andcombination which I shall hereinafter fully describe and specificallypoint out in the claims.

The object of my invention is to provide a means for charging the flashlight burner readily and accurately, and to use said means in connectionwith a reflector which also serves as a smoke arrester.

Referring to the accompanying drawings for a more complete explanationof my invention,-Figure 1 is a perspective view of my device. Fig. 2 isa vertical cross section through one of the supply hoppers and directingchutes. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation, showing one of the supply hoppers,the charging valve and the upper rear end of the directing chute.

A is one standard of a light frame-work mounted upon a base a and havingcasters a whereby the whole frame-work and the parts carried thereby arereadily movable.

B is a reflecting plate of suitable character. Its top may beprovided'with the apertured hood I) which serves as a collector anddischarger of the smoke, said head being supposed to be in connectionwith a suitable outlet. This reflector is supported upon the frame in asuitable manner.

Secured to the back of the reflector is a supply hopper C. There may beas many of these as may be required for the particular burner to becharged. Ihave here shown six of such hoppers. Each hopper is providedwith a hinged lid 0.

In the lower portion or throat of each hopper is mounted and adapted tooscillate a charging valve D which is in the shape of a sleeve, saidsleeve having in its surface a charging socket 01. Each sleeve may havea series of these sockets, as shown in Fig. 3, of different sizes,whereby by moving the sleeve endwise a socket of proper size may bebrought into the hopper. Through these charging sleeves orvalves passshafts E, said shafts having their ends mounted in the end standards Aof the frame and adapted to rock therein whereby they turn the sleevesor valves D to operate them, as I shall presently describe.

The shafts E are rocked by any suitable mechanism. I have here shownthem provided with pinions c with which engages a rack bar F adapted tobe vertically operated by suitable mechanism, here shown as a crank Gand pinion g. Springs H upon the shafts insure their returnto normalposition. Under the valve of each hopper is a directing spout I whichpasses through the reflector.

The charging operation is as follows: The flash powder is placed in thehoppers C. The normal position of the sleeve valves D is one in whichtheir charge sockets d are on the lower'side and below the hoppers, andin this normal position the springs H hold them. By operating the rackbar F, the shafts E are rocked and thereby the valve sleeves D areturned through approximately a half revolution, thus turning theircharge sockets 61 upwardly and into the hoppers, so that they receivethe charges of powder. baris relieved, the springs H throw the valvesback again to normal position, and the powder is delivered to thechutes. Now, in order to limit the movement of the valves accurately andnot allow them to turn too far one way or When the rack 5 by movingindividual sleeves, but the preferable way is to move them allsimultaneously by moving longitudinally the rock shafts E which carrythem. This movement maybe effected by suitable means as by collars e,levers e and connecting handle 6 In charging the burner, the wholedevice is brought up close to it in position for its spouts to deliverthe powder properly. When the burner is charged, the frame with itsreflector and charging mechanism is moved back to a proper position forthe reflector B to serve its purpose. This adj ustability or portabilityof the device is of great advantage in that it is not desirable to haveit too close to the burner, as the light of the flash powder is opaque,and the reflector would be of no service when very close; but by movingit back a proper distance it can reflect the light around the ends ofthe flame, and thereby light up the room properly. It is furthernecessary to adjust the device with respect to the burner so that itwill not be come coated with the products of combustion. The smoke whichreaches it is arrested and directed upwardly through the apertured hoodto a proper point above.

This device may be used in connection with any flash light burner. Itspurpose is best served in connection with a burner in which provision ismade for the explosion of a number of charges simultaneously, as, forexample, a series of plates adapted to receive the charges of powderfrom the spouts I, and to have the powder thereon ignited in a suitablemanner. These plates may be stationary or movable, and the means forigniting the powder may be of any character. In order, however, to showthe particular utility of the device, I have in Fig. 1, shown in frontof the reflector the charge cups L of that flash light burner heretoforepatented to me, January 26, 1892, No. 467,696, to which reference ishereby made. These cups are mounted upon swinging shafts M and areadapted to throw their powder into flames rising from the holes N in agas pipe 0. These parts, as before stated, are portions of my particularflash light burner, and they are here shown in Fig. 1, in position toreceive the charges of powder from the chutes I, butthey form no part ofmy present device. The powder from chutes I may be discharged directlyinto the flames which would thus constitute the burner.

It is to be understood that I do not claim in this application thedevice set forth in my application, Serial No. 456,251,tiled December24, 1892.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new,and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A charger for flashlight burners consisting of a supply hopper and alongitudinally movable oscillatory valve mounted in the throat of thehopper and having a series of charge sockets of varying sizes adapted tobe moved into and out of the hopper, substantially as herein described.

2. A charger for flash light burners consisting of a supply hopper and alongitudinally movable oscillatory valve mounted in the throat of thehopper and having a series of charge sockets of varying sizes adapted tobe moved into and out of the hopper, and a directing chute incommunication with said valve, and into which it delivers the charge ofpowder, substantially as-herein described.

3. A charger and reflector for flash light burners consisting of areflecting plate, a supply hopper secured to the back of said plate, anoscillatory charge valve operating in the throat of the hopper and adirecting chute in communication with said valve and passing through thereflecting plate, substantially as herein described.

4. A reflector and charger for flash light burners consisting of aframe, a reflector carried thereby, a directing chute passing throughthe reflector from behind, and means for supplying a charge of powder tosaid chute, substantially as herein described.

5. A reflector and charger for flash light burners, consisting of areflecting plate, a supply hopper on its back, means for controlling thedischarge from the hopper, and means for delivering the charge to theburner, substantially as herein described.

6. A reflector and charger for flash light burners consisting of amovable frame, a reflector carried thereby, directing chutes passingthrough the reflector from behind, and means for supplying a charge ofpowder to said chutes, consisting of hoppers on the back of thereflector, and oscillatory valves with charge sockets operating in thethreats of the hoppers, substantially as herein described.

7. A reflector and charger for flash light burners consisting of aframe, a reflecting plate carried thereby, a series of supply hopperssecured to the back of the plate, oscillatory valves with charge socketsoperating in the throats of the hoppers, directing chutes incommunication with said valves, and passing through the reflecting plateand rocking shafts upon which said valves are mounted whereby they areoperated simultaneously, substantially as herein described.

8. A reflector and charger for flash light burners consisting of aframe, a reflecting plate carried thereby, a series of supply hopperssecured to the back of the plate, oscillatory longitudinally movablesleeves forming valves operating in the throats of the hoppers,

said valves having a series of charge sockets of different sizes,directing chutes in communication with said valves, and passing throughthe reflecting plate and rocking shafts upon which said valves aremounted whereby they are operated simultaneously, substantially asherein described.

9. A reflector and charger for flash light burners consisting of aframe, a reflecting plate carried thereby, a series of supply hopperssecured to the back of the plate, oscillatory valves with charge socketsoperating in the throats of the hoppers, directing chutes incommunication with said valves and passing through the reflecting plate,rocking shafts upon which said valves are mounted whereby they areoperated simultaneously, and stops for limiting the movement of saidvalves, substantially as herein described.

10. A reflector and charger for flash light burners consisting of aframe, a reflecting plate carried thereby, a series of supply hopperssecured to the back of the plate, oscillatory valves with charge socketsoperating in the throats of the hoppers, directing chutes incommunication with said valves and passing through the reflecting plate,rocking shafts upon which said valves are mounted whereby they areoperated simultaneously, and the means for operating said shaft-s,consisting of a rock bar, pinions on the shafts and springs forreturning them, substantially as herein described.

11. Acombined charger, reflector and smoke arrester for flash lightburners, consisting of a portable frame, a reflectingv platecarriedthereby, provided with an apertured top hood, supply hoppers secured tothe back of the reflecting plate, oscillatory valves with charge socketsoperating in the throats of the hoppers, rock-shafts upon which saidvalves are mounted, and directing chutes in communication with thevalves and passing through the reflecting plate, substantially as hereindescribed.

12. A reflector and charger for flash light burners consisting of areflecting plate, supply hoppers on its back, oscillatory valves, eachhaving a series of charge sockets of different sizes, said valvesoperating in the throats of the hoppers, longitudinally movable rockshafts carrying said valves whereby they may be moved simultaneously topresent different sockets in the hoppers, and directing chutes forreceiving the charges from said sockets, substantially ashereindescribed. h In witness whereof I have hereunto set my and.

SYLVESTER M. WILLIAMS.

